The Brotherhood Chronicles presents: The Horsemen
by Descendent
Summary: Pestilence, Famine, War, and Death. The Four Horsemen have reunited to find out why they were chosen and what happened to them at the hands of Apocalypse, but as they delve deeper into the shadows, an new threat arises. The Apocalypse cannot be stopped.
1. Famine

The Brotherhood Chronicles presents: The Horsemen, Part One: Famine

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"_And when he had opened the first seal, I heard the first beast say, come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.  
>And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine…<em>"

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Over the Atlantic

The Velocity was Charles Xavier's prize vehicle. Capable of both overland travel, as well as cross continental, and even upper stratosphere travel, it was loaded with every form of technology Charles Xavier could dream up of. It's sleek black frame was outfitted with the most advanced weapons systems in existence, but the most dangerous thing about the Velocity was the two individuals who were sitting in the driver and passenger seats, as the heli-jet roared over the Atlantic.

Warren Worthington the Third sat in the pilot seat, his blue skin a contrast to the soft white clouds that were outside the thick glass as he flew through them as he piloted the jet. He was known by many things in his life; a Billionaire, Philanthropist, Playboy, Mutant, X-Man, and on a darker note, as the leader of Apocalypses Horseman, he was known as Death. He finally sat back, pushing a few buttons placing the Velocity onto auto pilot as he cracked the sore muscles in his neck.

"Antarctica?" He asked his companion, breaking the silence the two of them had been in for well over several hours.

"That where the Nexus is." Michael James Nagrite stated as he turned to face Warren, the dark Egyptian tattoo's that ran from his arms, neck, and shoulder to finally end under his eyes seemed to be absorbing the light, and casting him in a perpetual shadow. Warren was wearing his leather X-Man jumpsuit, blue accents to it, matching his skin tone, his razor sharp metal wings were contained in a compartment that was melded into his back.

Omega was just wearing a pair of black and dark blue cameo pants and a tight sleeveless shirt and his sleeveless leather trench coat-style vest. His thick dreadlocks were bound onto the back top of his head in a traditional style topknot.

"The Nexus?" Warren asked. "Sounds way to Sci-fi to me."

"Erik loved his science fiction apparently." Mike smirked before resuming his explanation. "It's a portal that serves as the main transportation between earth and Asteroid M. I put a call into St. John before we left from Xavier's, so my access codes still work. It's a lot safer then trying to take this thing into deep space." Omega stated as he looked back out of the window.

"Hm..." Warren sighed as he turned back to the auto pilot and fiddled with it to get the best results. "At our current rate, we should be at those coordinates within four hours."

"Three hours fifty eight minutes to be more precise." Mike commented as he looked out the window. There were several minutes of more silence until Warren spoke up again.

"It's always with you, isn't it?" Warren asked waiting another long pause before Mike answered

"Yea. Makes it real hard to watch TV, when I've figured out the ending of the show within the first five minutes. Same with books. By the time I read the first 2-3 chapters, I already know what happens."

"Kind of takes the fun out of life." Warren said. "The mystery and unexpected at least."

"I think that was the point. To try and dehumanize us." Mike said simply. "Detach us from what we use to be, make us more willing servants."

"What do you think happened to him?" Warren asked as he looked out the window.

"You got the SHILED report, same as me. They found him a dried husk, drained of all power, and a withered old man." Mike said simply. "They have him on cryogenic lockdown in Area 51 last I heard from Fury. Sinister seemed to think otherwise, but I didn't sense any deceit from Fury." Mike stated coldly.

"Fury has made a career of lying though." Angel added. "He would be good at it."

"Frankly I don't care. He's dead and that's all that matters to me." Omega said, deciding to omit the fact that he new it would be possible for Apocalypse to return.

"Yea." Warren nodded. "I guess I'm just worried that he could come back."

"Lets get to Pyro, and then I'll tell you everything Sinister told me. No sense explaining it twice." Mike answered.

"Works for me." Warren stated as he turned his attention back out the window, over the deep blue ocean, his mind wandering.

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Xavier's Institute, Several hours ago

"Let me get this strait bub, you wanna take one of our two forms of aerial travel on a wild goose chase to go find one of Magneto's flunkies so the three of you can all sit down and have a heart to heart?" Wolverine said as he sat hunched over on the table next to the Velocity. Xavier was sitting next to him in his wheelchair, and Ororo was behind the two, an indifferent look on her face.

"Well when you put it like that…" Warren started to say before Mike cut him off.

"That's the jist of it yea." Mike nodded. "If my memory serve me correct, the Mark 3 X-Jet is the better vehicle, and we wouldn't want to completely leave you guys without any way to transport. The Velocity is lighter, faster and less important."

"Less important to who bub?" Came the growl from Wolverine.

"Logan." Xavier said as he put a calming hand on Wolverines shoulder. "This is obviously important for Warren otherwise he wouldn't have asked. And if young Mr. Nagrite here is also willing to help, we should take in the significant importance of what they are asking."

"Thank you Charles." Warren replied.

"But…" Xavier stated. "I cannot say I'm not concerned." Xavier said as he steepled his fingers. "I will be blunt with you both. There is a shadow of fear in my mind, that getting all of the Horsemen back together might not be another plan that Apocalypse had."

"No grantee's that it isn't." Mike commented, drawing a look for Ororo and Logan.

"So would you have a problem if I sent a chaperone with you?" Xavier asked. "Just in case?"

"No dice Chuck." Mike commented before Warren could.

"This is something that happened to us. Something we need to figure out. "If we have to find another way so be it, but no one else gets involved." Warren said, slightly more diplomatically then Omega had.

"Understood Warren." Xavier nodded as he thought about it. "Alright then. Go with my blessing and I hope the two of you find what you're looking for. Stay safe and we're only a phone call away."

"Thanks Charles." Warren said with a smile as he shook Xavier's hand.

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The Nexus. Antarctica

"So why are we waiting?" Warren asked, his breath coming out in a cold mist that hung in the air before him, lingering before slowing disappearing as Warren turned his head to stare at his counterpart

"The base is pretty much deserted, there's no one down here, as everyone stays on the asteroid, so it runs on simple power and needs time to heat up as the generators kick in." Mike explained as he stood over a console. He was watching the readouts with a careful eye. "Alright, power's been established. Let's go wait for him in the side room."

"Alright." Warren nodded as he followed Omega down the corridor and into an adjoining room. There were a few couches lying around. Warren noticed the temperature slowing going up as they waited. As he looked around he saw a dozen scorch marks over the hallways and some deep gouges in the walls. In short, it looked like there had been a major firefight of some sort. "What happened?"

"War." Mike stated. "He took a hold of me and attacked the Brotherhood before Betsy was able to rein him in. She was able to merge us together. But he did his fair share of damage before he was stopped." **(1)** Warren nodded in understanding.

After several minutes the base was at a comfortable temperature, and there was a flash of Light. Warren covered his eyes as Mike blinked a few times, shaking the cobwebs loose. There were light footfalls that slowing increased in sound as they made their way towards the two mutants.

"Alright blokes… What's all this hubabaloo about… OH MY GOD!" Came the heavily accented voice of one St. John Allerdyce as he rounded the corner to the room to see Archangel and Omega, in the blended war form. He pulled out his lighter and looked at the two mutant in shock.

"I should have sent out an email or something warning people about this." Mike commented dryly. "Every time someone new sees me… it's the same HOLY GOD!" mike mocked shouted as he waved his hands around.

"So your not all crazy "Only-the-strong-will-survive" Mojo right now?" Pyro asked as he slowly put the lighter away.

"No I'm good." Mike commented as he kicked up his boots onto the end table. "Grab a seat we've got some talking to do, and you guys are not gonna like it."

"Oh boy." Pyro muttered as he walked into the room.

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Xavier's Institute

"Well isn't this interesting." Logan growled as he sat hunched over on the balcony. He was watching as two SHEILD helicopters landed in the front yard of the Institute, kicking up some dust and matting down the grass.

"Want me to see what Fury wants?" Scott asked as he stood at the professor's side. There was a disproving look in the young mans demeanor as he stared at the helicopters through scarlet colored glasses.

"I believe the good general is just paying us a check up." Xavier said simply as he turned around in his wheelchair and headed towards the door to greet their 'guest', Scott following him.

Logan shrugged and jumped from the balcony landing with a dull thud into the ground, kicking up a few dirt clumps and gouging the soil slightly as he then made his way to the front entrance of the mansion to wait for Xavier and Scott. After a few minutes the door opened and Charles and Scott appeared, just as General Fury stepped off of one of the helicopters.

"Fury." Logan snorted. "Next time you may wanna call ahead. We'll have tea and crumpets ready."

"I prefer my coffee black, and with scotch." Fury stated as he walked towards the mutants, flanked by Hawkeye and Black Widow.

"What can we do for you general?" Xavier asked, his calming voice slicing through the tension like a knife.

"I need to speak with Worthington." Fury said sternly. "There's been… an incident." Fury said as he chose his words carefully.

"What type of incident? Is everything okay?" Scott asked, giving voice to the obvious questions that hung in the air.

"Nothing is ever okay Kid." Fury commented. "And as for what happened, I'd prefer to talk with Archangel and tell him the news. It could be bad if he finds out otherwise."

"Warren is on sabbatical right now." Xavier said simply. "He has been having a difficult time since Apocalypse and we thought it best if he took a few days to recollect his thoughts before returning to his duties as instructor."

"The whole reason he's not in a stasis like the Juggernaut right now is because you two agreed to keep an eye on him to make sure Apocalypse didn't do any permanent damage. And now you tell me he's been struggling with it and you let him go off by himself?"

"Charles didn't say he was by himself." Wolverine stated with a throaty growl.

"Okay, who is he with?" Fury asked, frustration clearly visible on his face.

"Why don't we go inside and have a chat, and you can tell us what's wrong and how we can help you." Charles said as he turned around and wheeled himself into the mansion. The dark feeling of foreboding settled in over the gather mutants as the made their way to Xavier's study

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The Nexus

"He can dome back?" Warren asked, voice like ice.

"We're the secrets to his return. Inside all of us is a coded genome, that when mixed with his blood will allow him to return." Mike explained, telling Pyro and Archangel what Sinister had told him a few weeks ago. "That's why I agreed to come with you Warren. Easier to tell you both then have to do separate phone calls."

"Wait if he needs all four of us then he's SOL. The plonkeir can't come back. He killed Pestilence." Pyro pointed out. "I'll bet moi lucky red Speedo on it."

"We don't now what happened to Caliban." Mike commented. "As far as we know that could have been his plan all along."

"So in short, we need to find Caliban, if he's alive, and tell him what up all the while making sure that this Bastard doesn't make a return appearance." Pyro thought aloud.

"That's about the sum of it." Mike nodded, drawing a determined look from the Aussie.

"I'm in." Pyro said with a smirk. "Could be fun to see if this bastard burns."

"I though you would be." Mike said with a smirk. "So the real question is where we start."

"SHIELD would be a good bet." Warren stated. "They're holding Apocalypse's body in cryogenic lockdown we can then go from there."

"We could have Xavier try to find Caliban with Cerebro." Pyro pointed out.

"I'll call the professor and see if he can get on it." Warren said as he got up.

"Alright blokes, lets role." Pyro said as he got up.

"_It will finally end_." Mike thought to himself as he watched Warren and St. John get ready and load onto the Velocity, setting a course for the Xavier Institute. He didn't know how wrong he was.

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Next time on the Brotherhood Chronicles presents: The Horsemen, Part Two: Pestilence. The hunt for Caliban begins but what the former Horsemen of Apocalypse find will make their mission all the more dangerous.

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**(1)** **See the Brotherhood Chronicles, Chapter 64**

Later folks. Please review and let me know what you think,

Descendent


	2. Pestilence

The Brotherhood Chronicles presents: The Horsemen, Part Two: Pestilence

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"_And as the lamb broke the second seal, and out forth came the other rider mounted top of a white horse, bearing a great scythe, holding within himself the touch of plague, and desperation of the ill. And in the midst of the four beasts a voice cried out; Come and See…"_

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The Xavier Institute

"So let me try to fully understand this…" Mike stated as he leaned against the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose. Pyro was staring at Nick Fury with a weird look to his face as Warren was pacing about, a seething cauldron of rage. "You lost Apocalypse?"

"We didn't lose him." Fury stated, as he chewed on a cigar. "One hundred of my best agents were killed. Guys who make the GRSO look like chumps. Each one was trained and groomed specifically to work at that warehouse where we hide our dirty little secrets. They were all killed by an advance form of the Ebola Virus. All dead within seconds of exposure near as our techs can tell. You all know who that is…" (**1**) All three of the other Horsemen responded at the same time.

"Pestilence." Mike stated.

"Caliban." Warren said at the same time.

"Pineapples." Pyro also said at the same time. The others all paused and looked at him. "I mean Caliban/Pestilence!" Pyro stated, holding up his hands defensively.

"I think I liked him better as a brainwashed mook." Logan muttered from the table he was perched on. Xavier was sitting behind his desk, fingers bent in a contemplative gesture.

"Anyhow…" Fury said, turning their attention back to him. "His body was still there, it was just drained of all the blood it had inside of it." Fury continued. "My guys have been analyzing small samples and its properties, what it can do to people are… unreal."

"You have three living examples of what it can do to people right in front of you Fury." Warren spat in anger. "Do you not remember what we were capable of? Isn't that why SHEILD is keeping tabs on us?"

"Guess you owe me your lucky red Speedo." Mike commented to Pyro. "Caliban is alive."

"And apparently still under that monster's control." Pyro replied.

"I don't know about that." Mike mused.

"We need to stop him." Warren said grimly. "With Apocalypses blood, he's one step closer to bringing him back."

"Wait…" Fury said, getting a shocked look. Xavier and Logan also had surprised looks on their faces. "He can come back?"

"Apocalypses blood, combined with DNA from each of us Horsemen can cause a catalyst in one of his descendents, bringing him back to life in a new body." Mike explained.

"So he needs all of you as well, and you want to go hunting him?" Wolverine asked. "Sounds like a trap to me."

"Most likely is." Mike commented. "But sooner or later he's gonna come after us. Which means were on borrowed time until he can get to us. I hate being on borrowed time. I'd rather take the fight to him and catch him by surprise."

"Charles. We need you to try and find Caliban using Cerebro. If we know where he is, we have a better chance at trying to stop him." Warren said as he turned to Xavier. "We need this Charles."

"Of course Warren. I just wish Scott and the others were here. I'm sure they would be of great assistance."

"It sounds like Lance has his hands full right now and needs all the heavy hitters he can get. We need to do this on our own." Mike commented.

"Very well." Xavier said as he wheeled himself out of the room.

"I'm sending in some back up..." Fury started to say to the former Horsemen after Xavier had left. Mike grabbed him and slammed him into the wall before he could finish. A barbed tendricals was dangerous close to Fury's good eye.

"Listen here you flat-scan son of a Bitch…" Mike hissed. "I haven't forgotten what you did to me at my wife's funeral. I let you go the first time because you handed us Sinister on a silver platter, and even then we almost died when we fought that new breed of Sentinel. You stay the fuck out of this."

"Listen here kid." Fury said, his one eye blazing with his namesake.

"No you listen." Mike said darkly, as the room seemed to grow slightly dimmer. "You stay the fuck away. You already screwed up by allowing someone to get their hands on Apocalypse's blood. We'll end this. And if I so much as see a SHEILD badge or agents anywhere near us… I'll come for you and I'll kill you with my bare hands." Mike snarled as he dropped Fury to the floor. "Bet on it."

"Will do." Fury said as he struggled for air. The Horsemen all left the room leaving Fury and Logan alone.

"You brought it on yourself Nick." Logan said. "You know what that kid is capable of, and you went after him."

"And we also let him go." Fury commented as he stood up. "There is a lot more powerful players involved in this then you can think of Logan. This goes way pass the White House."

"Illuminati?" Logan asked.

"They're just the first on the list." Fury commented. Logan gave Fury a hard look as the two stared at the departing Horsemen. "Those kids are in for a whole new experience."

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"The professor says he's found Caliban." Warren said as he held his head, receiving the mental communication from Xavier. "He's in Cairo."

"Alright then. Let's do it." Mike commented.

"We're gonna go at this alone?" Pyro asked as the three of them walked towards the Velocity. "I'm down for keeping SHEILD out of this, but we could probably use some help if were taking on the Cult of Apocalypse here."

"We're the only ones who know what that madman was capable of." Warren said simply. "It's our responsibility to take him out. We need to stop Caliban."

"We know he's in Cairo… but tracking him will prove much more difficult. That city is huge. So unless you want me burnin' it ta tha ground, finding him will be hard as all bloody 'ell." Pyro stated.

"We're gonna need some help tracking him. And I know just who to get." Mike said with a smile as he pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number. "We're gonna need to make a pit stop." Mike smirked as he held the ringing phone to his ear.

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Cairo, Egypt

"_Take me to Cairo… Where the sand gets in your crotch and the itch drives you insane…_" Deadpool sang as he got off of the Velocity.

"Will you finally shut the hell up?" X-23 snarled as she got off the Velocity with Omega.

"Five hours… singing the same song…" Warren said as he stumbled off of the Velocity. "I hate him so much…"

"Why couldn't I set him on fire?" Pyro asked.

"Cause we were in a compressed environment and it would have blown us up." Warren pointed out.

"How about now?" Pyro asked as he pulled out his lighter.

"Go for it…" Warren muttered. Mike grabbed Pyro's lighter out of his hand.

"We need him." Mike said simply. "And that won't do anything. Only thing I've seen that shuts him up is duct tape. Lots of duct tape."

"_Stupid gray colored basterd tape_…" Wade commented as X sniffed the air. Pyro snatched his lighter back from Omega as he went to the back and got his flame throwers on.

"The portable Cerebro unit got us as close as it's going to." Mike said as he looked down at the device in his hand. "Pestilence is somewhere within a five hundred yard radius."

"I think I got him." X said as she sniffed the air some more. "There's defiantly a scent of illness coming from the sewers. Very familiar."

"How can you know what he smells like?" Pyro asked. "We haven't seen that plonkeir in over a year?"

"You all have a very familiar smell. Something Apocalypse did to your DNA. Makes all of your scents… different." X said as she walked over to a sewer grate. She kicked it open and dropped down. Mike shrugged and followed her. Pyro and Archangel also dropped down, leaving Wade alone.

"_Why am I always last…" _Wade muttered as he walked over to the open grate. He stopped when he saw a beautiful Asian girl.

She was standing across from him, looking directly at him. She wore cherry blossom colored Kimono, her face painted a ghostly white, with ruby red lips. Her hair was done up traditional style, and her eyes betrayed sensuality. She smiled at him, as she held a small umbrella that was open in her hands.

"_Let's see here… follow the others to possible certain doom, or flirt with pretty Asian lady… No contest…_" Deadpool smirked as he walked over to her. "_Heya there…What's say you and me grab a bottle of Sake and go find someplace more comfortable… Like my bed_." The girl smiled at him. She then opened her mouth and thousands upon thousands of large beetles poured out, and began to swarm over Deadpool. Wade didn't even get a chance to scream, or more importantly fire off a quip, as they devoured his flesh. Within minutes, there was just a skeleton remaining. The girl smiled as the bugs buzzed around her. She nodded to them and they began to spread throughout the city, attacking people as she walked away humming to herself.

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The sewers

"Did we lose Wade?" Mike asked as the four mutants made there way through the sewers.

"I get the feeling that we did… It is way to quiet." X said as she sniffed around. She paused as she looked down the corridor. "Oh poo…" X muttered right before the wall behind her collapsed on her, knocking her down and out.

"Fun time…" Pyro cackled as he sparked up his flame throwers. The dust from the whole in the wall settled, revealing Caliban, in full Pestilence form. Standing behind him was a twelve foot tall stone skinned Minotaur, with glowing green eyes and a wicked looking four bladed axe in his hands.

"It that…" Warren began to say before Mike unleashed his tendricals.

"TAKE THEM DOWN!" Mike roared as he charged forward. Archangel unleashed his wings. Pyro let loose a loud cackle before firing off a stream of fire from his flame throwers.

Caliban ducked underneath the flame and ran strait for Archangel and Pyro, while the large Minotaur like creature turned to engage Omega. Mike snarled as he ducked under a swing of the axe, and sent out several barbed tendricals towards the beast. The creature leapt away, faster then his size should allow and responded by smashing the wall next to him, collapsing it towards Omega. Mike back flipped away and within those seconds the horned stone demon was all over him, Omega was barely able to dodge the heavy handed swings from the creatures axe.

"Got to find a weakness in this thing…" Mike thought as he tried to create an opening, but the creature was to fast, to strong, and seemed to predict Omega's moves before he could do them. It was eerily familiar and Mike could only guess that this was what it was like fighting himself.

"Let it be finished…" Caliban hissed as he leapt at Pyro and Warren. Archangel tried to back away, but with his wings out and the closed quarters of the sewers they were fighting in; he could not maneuver out of the way of Caliban's talons.

"ARGH!" Warren screamed as he felt the razor sharp talons bite into his shoulder blade. A mental command from Archangel sent dozens of razor sharp feathers into Caliban, knocking the Horseman off of him.

"Tuck the wings mate!" Pyro shouted as he pushed Warren into an adjoining tunnel. Warrens wings withdrew just in time to allow him to fall through the wall. Pyro turned to face Caliban and let out a loud laugh as he filled the tunnel with fire, and then superheated it, making it white flame as he sent it cascading towards Pestilence.

"AHHHH!" Caliban roared as he felt his skin blister and burn from the fire as it washed over him. Pyro focused and kept the fire going until he felt a tickle on his neck.

"Whot da 'ell?" Pyro said as he slapped his neck and saw a crushed beetle on his hand. He suddenly felt very tired and very weak as he dropped to one knee. The fire surrounding Caliban died out as the young woman in the cherry blossom kimono walked from behind him. "I don't like da look o' dis…" Pyro sad as the woman stepped in front of Caliban and opened her mouth as hundreds more of the beetles poured out of her mouth and cascaded towards Pyro. "Oh bullocks.."

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On the surface

"_My face…_" The skeleton that was Deadpool said slowly as it got up. "_I wish I could see the damage… or then again probably not… Oh well, it'll probably be a bit before my flesh re-grows… Which makes me wonder how I'm able to talk, but hey who am I to argue…_" The skeleton kept rambling as it tried to walk around as flesh slowly began to regrow. It stumbled around till it fell down a whole in the ground. "_My face_…"

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Back at the fight

"Oof..." Mike coughed out as he slammed into the wall. The large Minotaur stood over Omega, and lifted him up by his throat before then droving its axe directly into his gut, pinning him to the wall. "ARRRGGGGHHH!" Mike screamed in agony as his eyes turned bright green and began to bleed of energy. "**ALL WILL FEEL THE RAVAGES OF WAR!**" Mike screamed as he was overwhelmed by the essence of war. The creature snarled as it withdrew its axe and backhanded Omega, knocking him clear through four walls in the sewer and out cold.

(Snickt) "Lets see if you bleed green." X snarled as she stood up and dove at the Minotaur. Her claws bounced off of his form, as if they were nothing as she tried to chip away at the creature.

"Mortal." The Minotaur snarled as he grabbed X by the head and squeezed, crushing her skull as he then threw her away like a rag doll. He then tossed his axe to Caliban who was just barely standing. Caliban licked his fingers that were coated in Angels blood before also licking the axe, ingesting Omega's blood as well.

"Oh that's not good…" Pyro muttered as he tried to hold off the beetles that were swarming him, with a ring of fire, but he started coughing, and his flames slowly died out as he fell to his knees.

"Keep your Yumi beetles at bay… they are not fit to ingest him." Caliban said as he painfully made his way over to Pyro. The beetle swarm parted and allowed him to pass through.

"You dinna know what your doin' Mate." Pyro said as he tried to stand up as Caliban's burned body stood over him, skin starting to blister apart.

"_But I do_!" Came the maniacal shout as Deadpool emerged from one of the holes in the wall. His skin had grown back, and he was wearing a newspaper diaper and held an automatic rifle in his hands. "_Don't ask where I got the newspaper or the gun, cause that's just me! Now say hello to my little friends_!" Wade shouted as he sprayed the room with bullets. War responded by stepping in front of Deadpool and driving his axe through his shoulder, and flinging him into the wall. "_My face…"_

"By the will of Apocalypse…" Caliban said as he drove his talons into Pyro's right arm. He then pulled them out and licked the blood up as Pyro passed out from the pain and weakness.

"No…" Warren said as he emerged from the tunnel holding his side. He watched as Caliban pulled out a syringe and drove it into his heart, pumping the dark blue fluid into him. He then let out a scream as he fell over in pain.

"We have what we need." Caliban said as he struggled to stand. He was in obvious pain as the blood of the other Horsemen and Apocalypse coursed in his body. "Get us out of here before they can stop us…" He said as War walked over to him. The small Asian girl nodded as she walked over. She spun her umbrella around and the three disappeared in a flash of light.

"NO!" Warren screamed as they all disappeared.

"The leprechauns are telling me we just got our ass's royally beat." Pyro said as he slowly got up, nursing his arm. "Please tell me that they were not who I think it was…"

"It was first of the true disciples." Mike said as he emerged from the ruble he was thrown into. "That was defiantly War. Pretty sure the girl was Pestilence."

"Which means they've been awakened. He is making his final play to come back." Warren commented as he helped X up. The clones healing factor had already fixed the damage, and the swelling in her face was starting to go down.

"_Will someone please explain to me what the hell is going on_?" Wade asked as he got up, adjusting his newspaper.

"The true Horsemen of Apocalypse have been awoken." Warren said grimly. "His most powerful avatars. The first ones to be transformed into the Horsemen, they've been in stasis awaiting his return for when he would truly need them." Wade and X gave a shocked look as the former Horsemen shared a look.

"We need to take the fight to him ASAP." Pyro said darkly.

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Elsewhere

"All is ready Ozymandias." Spoke a voice from the shadows. The stone-skinned seer of Apocalypse turned his head to see four figures emerge from the shadows.

War was standing there, his eyes glowing green and his horns glinting with blood as he turned a hate filled sneer towards the others. Next to him was a man dressed like a confederate soldier, thin and pale, a drum on his back and two sticks in his hands, twitching as if he ached to beat upon the drum that was by him. Besides him was a young Asian girl, beautiful Pestilence, dressed in the formal wear of a geisha, her small umbrella in her hands as she stood silently, face panted white and red as a beetle crawled across her skin. The final one was the owner of the voice, a young Persian man with multiple facial tattoos, wearing multiple rings of different metals on his fingers. He was wearing clothing that marked him of royal descent and finery, his bald head glistening in the dying sunlight.

"So we are." Ozymandias spoke, his voice like shifting gravel as he turned towards the stone alter where Caliban was lying, his breath labored and coming in gasps as he twitched and struggled in pain.

"Are the true disciples here?" Caliban rasped out, his voice choked full of dark crimson blood. "All of them?"

"We are here false Pestilence." The Persian man spoke with a voice like wind on silk. "You have done your job, and now your shell shall give birth to the master…"

"It is as he foresaw." Caliban said as his body began to glow brighter and brighter. "My life for Apocalypse…" Caliban spoke his final words as his body glowed brighter and brighter until the light died down, leaving Caliban's body, completely turned to stone. Slowly, small cracks appeared, and the body began to fall apart, revealing what it contained within.

Ozymandias smiled a cruel smile as he watched his master be reborn.

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Next time on the Brotherhood Chronicles presents: The Horsemen, Part Three: War. The Horsemen are in a race against time to stop Apocalypse, but when they engage the true Horsemen, will anyone be able to survive?

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**(1) The Brotherhood Chronicles, Chapter 80**

Later folks. Please review and let me know what you think,

Descendent


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